Alert or Attack for tornado??

[texaschad25]

Curious to see if you guys use attack or allert for tornadoes? I thought about using attack for tornadoes and allert for test.

Chad

[Nelso90]

Last time we had a tornado in Dakota County, attack was sounded. Alert is for sever thunderstorm warnings.

[Jim Z]

AFAIK, Mich. uses alert for testing and attack for any real warning. anytime I've heard our sirens for a weather situation, it's always been attack.

[kswx29]

Shawnee County uses Alert for Tornadoes and Attack for Civil Emergencies.

[500AT]

AFAIK, Mich. uses alert for testing and attack for any real warning. anytime I've heard our sirens for a weather situation, it's always been attack.

Where are you at in Michigan? The counties of Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw, and Wayne all use the three minute "Alert" signal, to warn the public of approaching tornadoes. There were a few that used the "Attack" signal in the past, but have since changed over to the continuous, steady signal.

[JasonC]

Most new siren installations now use attack for severe weather. Back when sirens were used for nuclear bombs and weather, attack was for the nukes, and alert for tornadoes. With legacy installations, most municipalities never changed their signal format. Now, with that threat passed, its probably better to do alert for testing and attack for a real emergency (whether it be tornado, terrorist, etc).

[Jim Z]

Where are you at in Michigan?

St. Clair Shores. we didn't have a system at all until the mid 90s, when they installed five 2001s. before that, you had to hope you would hear Harper Woods' T-bolts. Monthly tests are always alert, and anytime they've sounded for a weather emergency they've always been on wail.

[holler]

The attack wail carries further than the alert tone and is much more attention grabbing.

Macon, GA uses attack for weather warnings, but the air force base nearby uses alert.

[kswx29]

I actually think using different signals for Weather and Tests is a pretty good Idea. Because during our 4th of July Tornado Warning, the sirens in Douglas County went off because of funnels in the area. On the news it show some people who was out on the lake and this is what they said. "It was kind of stormy and then the siren went off. But we didn't know if it was a drill or not." I couldn't believe she said that. 1. It was a Wednesday, Douglas county doesn't test on Wednesdays. Also it was 3 in the afternoon and stormy!

[Bama2001]

Tuscaloosa County uses alert for most tornado warnings. When there is a weather emergancy (tornado touchdown or sighted) there set off in attack.